US TURF COMPANY
LEED Certified
In recent years, demand has grown rapidly for building materials that fulfill the requirements of LEED, the benchmark certification program for green building projects sponsored by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and buildings that carry its seal of approval are demonstrating advantages not only in public relations appeal, but studies show that energy-efficient LEED buildings cost less to operate, have higher occupancy rates, enhance occupant health and well-being and increase investment returns compared to their non-LEED counterparts. Though desirable, the LEED certification process, with its complex formulas and calculations, takes considerable commitment and planning on the part of architects and designers. Understandably, green product manufacturers strive to provide accurate and concise information to the building community about their products’ LEED-worthy attributes.
One common misconception about LEED is that building materials themselves qualify for LEED certification, when in fact it is only a project’s total LEED point score that determines whether the project qualifies for LEED, and if so, which of the three levels of certification it will achieve. Out of a possible 69 elective points, buildings that earn 26 points qualify for the standard LEED certification. The Silver certification level requires 33 points, the Gold certification level requires 39 points, and the Platinum certification level requires at least 52 points.
This document limits itself to credit categories listed in the LEED for New Construction & Major Renovations protocol, version 2.2. Other LEED protocols, such as LEED CI for commercial Interiors, and the still developing LEED for Homes differ somewhat in their requirements for credit.
Synthetic grass is made out of the highest quality materials and is 100% recyclable. Many environmental benefits, such as drastically decreased water requirements, elimination of fuel requirements and greenhouse gasses from lawn maintenance equipment, elimination of the need for fertilizers or pesticides, and reduction of allergens are associated with using Synthetic grass for landscaping. In addition, synthetic grass can be recycled at the end of its life cycle, thus reducing the amount of material that ends up in landfills.